Democracy Index in Burundi
Burundi: Democracy Index was -1 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Burundi, 1962–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Burundi recorded -1 for democracy index in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 116.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Burundi peaked at 6 in 2005 and was at its lowest, -7, in 1966.
Burundi ranks 124th of 168 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Democracy Index in Burundi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | -4 | — |
| 1963 | 5 | -225.0% |
| 1964 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | -7 | -240.0% |
| 1967 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1968 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1969 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1971 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -7 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -6 | -14.3% |
| 1988 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -6 | -0.0% |
| 1992 | -3 | -50.0% |
| 1993 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1994 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | -5 | — |
| 1997 | -5 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -1 | -80.0% |
| 1999 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2002 | 2 | — |
| 2003 | 3 | +50.0% |
| 2004 | 5 | +66.7% |
| 2005 | 6 | +20.0% |
| 2006 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | -1 | -116.7% |
| 2016 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -1 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -1 | -0.0% |
Burundi compared with similar countries
- Burundi's -1 is below the median for low income countries, which is 1. (25 countries reporting)
- Burundi's -1 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.5. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -2.12 | -7 | 5 | 8 |
| 1970s | -7 | -7 | -7 | 10 |
| 1980s | -6.7 | -7 | -6 | 10 |
| 1990s | -2.7 | -6 | 0 | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.9 | -1 | 6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.89 | -1 | 6 | 9 |
Countries ranked near Burundi
More social development data for Burundi
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 110,800 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 318,291 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0221 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 318,291 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0077 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is democracy index in Burundi?
- Democracy index in Burundi was -1 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy index recorded in Burundi?
- The highest recorded value was 6 in 2005.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Burundi?
- The lowest recorded value was -7 in 1966.
- How does Burundi rank for democracy index?
- Burundi ranks 124th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Burundi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 116.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Burundi data come from?
- The figures come from Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 57 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
It combines information on the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political participation is competitive. It ranges from -10 to 10 (fully democratic).